Emergency net



April 3, 1962 R. J. SILVER EMERGENCYNET Filed Deo. le, 1959 l N VEN TOR.

United dtares patent 3,627,967 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 free 3,027,967 EMERGENCY NET Reba J. Silver, 1536 S. Douglas Ave., Springfield, lll. Filed Dec. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 860,033 3 Claims. (Cl. 182.-137) This invention relates to emergency devices and more particularly to a multipurpose pad which may be used in numerous life-saving capacities.

An object of the invention is to provide improvements in the construction of an emergency-type net or pad which is principally useful in connection with life-saving activities that is, safely receiving an individual who must jump from a high place in case of a fire or similar emergency.

Briefly, the invention is embodied in specially constructed nets made fire-proof and very strong. The nets are padded in order to lessen and minimize the jars and shocks transmitted to a persons body when he or she falls upon the instant net.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the metallic webbing in the net used for reinforcing the net.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a top view showing a modification of the invention, this view serving the purpose of showing that the actual shape of the net may be varied.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the net in FIGURE 4.

In the accompanying drawing there are illustrations of nets and 12 respectively. These illustrations show that the configuration of the net may be varied depending on the particular use of the net. Considering first net 10, itis constructed of a rectangular envelope 14 made of fire-resistant or fire-proof flexible material, for instance a number of plastics, fabric-like material used for nonburning clothes as used in firefighters special uniform equipment or other commercially available lire-resistant cloth-like material. The envelope preferably is equipped with at least two handles 16 and 18 attached to end walls 20 of the envelope, and the number of handles may be materially increased. The handles may be of any configuration, for example straps, rings and others depending on the particular use of the net. When used by fire departments, a great number of handles should be used so that several men may support the net in operative position. However, it is within the contemplation of the invention to use the net in other capacities, for example attached to a helicopter to catch people or to receive people in desperate situations, at the high stories of a burning building.

The interior of the net is quite important. It is made of laminar construction, including an upper layer 24 of highly resilient material and a lower layer 26 of highly resilient material. Layers 24 and 2d may be made of sponge rubber, and they are reinforced by a flat webbing 28 such as hardware cloth as shown in FIGURE 2. The webbing may be secured to the side walls of the envelope or simply adhered to the confronting faces of layers 24 and 26, as by cement. The three plies composed of layers 24 and 26 and webbing 28 are encased in the tire-proof envelopes 14, and this constitutes the internal construction of pad 19.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 4 and 5. Pad 12 is identical in construction to pad 19, the only difference being in the shape. Additionally, the reinforcing web 28 of FIGURE 3 may be supplemented by an additional reinforcing ring 36 (FIGURE 5) secured to the undersurface of the envelope 14a of net 12. The reinforcing ring would be made of lightweight metal. Such a ring used in a rectangular net would, of course, be rectangular in shape, and such reinforcing means are contemplated for net 161 as well as net 12.

Net 12 is the usual shape of net for use by firemen. Therefore, is has a plurality of handles 16a attached to the side walls of envelope 14a, and the envelope encloses layers 24a and 26a as Well as webbing 28a, each of which correspond to corresponding parts of net 10.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A safety net for cushioning the fall of people iumping from burning buildings comprising a resilient pad, said pad including two layers of foam rubber, a sheet of metallic webbing sandwiched between said layers, a flexible fireproof cover enclosing said pad, a plurality of spaced handles secured to said cover around its periphery, a ring composed of light metal connected to the bottom of said cover adjacent its edge.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein the layer of foamv rubber below said metallic webbing is thicker than the layer above said webbing.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said pad is of circular shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 157,978 Strong et al Dec. 22, 1874 1,598,369 Foster Aug. 31, 1926 2,143,122 Dawdson Ian. 10, 1939 2,206,087 Gladstone July 2, 1940 2,468,558 Johnson Apr. 26, 1949 2,859,455 Koenigsberg Nov. 11, 1958 2,881,451 Bechik Apr. 14, 1959 

